2 Samuel 22

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 David sang the words of this song to the LORD when the LORD had rescued him from the grasp of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.	1 David addressed the words of this song to Yahweh, when Yahweh had delivered him from theclutches of all his enemies and from the clutches of Saul.
2 This is what he sang: I "O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,	2 He said: Yahweh is my rock and my fortress,
3 my God, my rock of refuge! My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior, from violence you keep me safe.	3 my deliverer is my God. I take refuge in him, my rock, my shield, my saving strength, my stronghold,my place of refuge. My Saviour, you have saved me from violence;
4 'Praised be the LORD,' I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.	4 I cal to Yahweh, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my foes.
5 "The breakers of death surged round about me, the floods of perdition overwhelmed me;	5 With Death's breakers closing in on me, Belial's torrents ready to swal ow me,
6 The cords of the nether world enmeshed me, the snares of death overtook me.	6 Sheol's snares on every side of me, Death's traps lying ahead of me,
7 In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry reached his ears.	7 I cal ed to Yahweh in my anguish, I cried for help to my God, from his Temple he heard my voice, mycry came to his ears!
8 "The earth swayed and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook when his wrath flared up.	8 Then the earth quaked and rocked, the heavens' foundations shuddered, they quaked at his blazinganger.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, and a devouring fire from his mouth; he kindled coals into flame.	9 Smoke rose from his nostrils, from his mouth devouring fire (coals were kindled at it).
10 He inclined the heavens and came down, with dark clouds under his feet.	10 He parted the heavens and came down, a storm-cloud underneath his feet;
11 He mounted a cherub and flew, borne on the wings of the wind.	11 riding one of the winged creatures, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness the shelter about him, with spattering rain and thickening clouds.	12 He wrapped himself in darkness, his pavilion dark waters and dense cloud.
13 From the brightness of his presence coals were kindled to flame.	13 A brightness lit up before him, hail and blazing fire.
14 "The LORD thundered from heaven; the Most High gave forth his voice.	14 Yahweh thundered from the heavens, the Most High made his voice heard.
15 He sent forth arrows to put them to flight; he flashed lightning and routed them.	15 He shot his arrows and scattered them, his lightning flashed and routed them.
16 Then the wellsprings of the sea appeared, the foundations of the earth were laid bare, At the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the wind of his wrath.	16 The very springs of ocean were exposed, the world's foundations were laid bare, at the roaring ofYahweh, at the blast of breath from his nostrils!
17 "He reached out from on high and grasped me; he drew me out of the deep waters.	17 He reached down from on high, snatched me up, pul ed me from the watery depths,
18 He rescued me from my mighty enemy, from my foes, who were too powerful for me.	18 rescued me from my mighty foe, from my enemies who were stronger than I.
19 They attacked me on my day of calamity, but the LORD came to my support.	19 They assailed me on my day of disaster, but Yahweh was there to support me,
20 He set me free in the open, and rescued me, because he loves me.	20 he freed me, set me at large, he rescued me, because he loves me.
21 "The LORD rewarded me according to my justice; according to the cleanness of my hands he requited me.	21 Yahweh rewards me for my uprightness, as my hands are pure so he repays me,
22 For I kept the ways of the LORD and was not disloyal to my God.	22 since I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and not fal en away from my God.
23 For his ordinances were all present to me, and his statutes I put not from me;	23 His judgements are al before me, his statutes I have not put away from me;
24 But I was wholehearted toward him, and I was on my guard against guilt.	24 I am blameless before him, I keep myself clear of evil.
25 And the LORD requited me according to my justice, according to my innocence in his sight.	25 Hence Yahweh repaid me for acting uprightly because he could see I was pure.
26 "Toward the faithful you are faithful; toward the wholehearted you are wholehearted;	26 Faithful you are to the faithful, blameless with the blameless,
27 Toward the sincere you are sincere; but toward the crooked you are astute.	27 sincere to the sincere but cunning to the crafty,
28 You save lowly people, though on the lofty your eyes look down.	28 you save a people that is humble and humiliate those with haughty looks.
29 You are my lamp, O LORD! O my God, you brighten the darkness about me.	29 Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp, my God lights up my darkness;
30 For with your aid I run against an armed band, and by the help of my God I leap over a wall.	30 with you I storm the rampart with my God I can scale any wal .
31 God's way is unerring; the promise of the LORD is fire-tried; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him."	31 This God, his way is blameless; the word of Yahweh is refined in the furnace, for he alone is theshield of al who take refuge in him.
32 "For who is God except the LORD? Who is a rock save our God?	32 For who is God but Yahweh, who is a rock but our God:
33 The God who girded me with strength and kept my way unerring;	33 this God who girds me with strength, who makes my way free from blame,
34 Who made my feet swift as those of hinds and set me on the heights;	34 who makes me as swift as a deer and sets me firmly on the heights,
35 Who trained my hands for war till my arms could bend a bow of brass.	35 who trains my hands for battle my arms to bend a bow of bronze.
36 "You have given me your saving shield, and your help has made me great.	36 You give me your invincible shield, you never cease to listen to me,
37 You made room for my steps; unwavering was my stride.	37 you give me the strides of a giant, give me ankles that never weaken-
38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, nor did I turn again till I made an end of them.	38 I pursue my enemies and exterminate them, not turning back till they are annihilated;
39 I smote them and they did not rise; they fell beneath my feet.	39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise, they fal , they are under my feet.
40 "You girded me with strength for war; you subdued my adversaries beneath me.	40 You have girded me with strength for the fight, bent down my assailants beneath me,
41 My enemies you put to flight before me and those who hated me I destroyed.	41 made my enemies retreat before me; and those who hate me I destroy.
42 They cried for help-but no one saved them; to the LORD--but he answered them not.	42 They cry out, there is no one to save, to Yahweh, but no answer comes.
43 I ground them fine as the dust of the earth; like the mud in the streets I trampled them down.	43 I crumble them like the dust of the squares, trample them like the mud of the streets.
44 "You rescued me from the strife of my people; you made me head over nations. A people I had not known became my slaves;	44 You free me from the quarrels of my people, you place me at the head of the nations, a people I didnot know are now my servants,
45 as soon as they heard me, they obeyed.	45 foreigners come wooing my favour, no sooner do they hear than they obey me,
46 The foreigners fawned and cringed before me; they staggered forth from their fortresses."	46 foreigners grow faint of heart, they come trembling out of their fastnesses.
47 "The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be my God, rock of my salvation.	47 Life to Yahweh! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be the God of my salvation,
48 O God, who granted me vengeance, who made peoples subject to me	48 the God who gives me vengeance and crushes the peoples under me,
49 and helped me escape from my enemies, Above my adversaries you exalt me and from the violent man you rescue me.	49 who takes me away from my enemies. You lift me high above those who attack me, you deliver mefrom the man of violence.
50 Therefore will I proclaim you, O LORD, among the nations, and I will sing praise to your name,	50 For this I wil praise you, Yahweh, among the nations, and sing praise to your name.
51 You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever."	51 He saves his king, time after time, displays faithful love for his anointed, for David and his heirs forever.